In 64 A.D., Emperor Nero supposedly fiddled while Rome burned. In 2007, Quakertown leadership is fiddling around, while we fear what will burn next. The Free Press revealed last week that there have not been any fire inspections in most borough buildings since April, 2005. Council did publicly address the problem, but the news isn't so hot.
To their credit, they didn't dodge the issue, or make up excuses. Vice President Jim Roberts, borough manager Scott McElree, and building inspector Ken Fretz all had prepared explanations. But those explanations revealed how inadequately the buildings in the borough - and borough residents - are being protected. The current program, or, more accurately, lack of program, was described by McElree as "the minimum under the law". Council knows it. In fact, they have been considering possible solutions. But, unfortunately, there are people actually working against them.
That "minimum" isn't much. There are no inspections of existing buildings, except for schools and day care. New construction, or renovations, are reviewed only prior to first occupancy by the borough's building inspector, using the International Building Code (IBC), a model code that has been adopted throughout most of the United States since 1997.
The IBC has a section on fire safety, but to enforce it, inspectors must have special training. Fretz does not have the necessary certification, so the borough brought back its retired former inspector, George Banas, to handle only new and remodeled structures. Banas, like Fretz, lacks fire certification, but he is "grandfathered in" until 2009 because he was a building inspector when the IBC was adopted here. A minimum code, a one-time inspection of a handful of buildings, by an uncertified official. Not exactly comforting.
This was never a problem before April, 2005. Quakertown employed former fire chief Fred Guenst as fire marshal, to inspect all shops, restaurants, schools, and public buildings every year. Guenst is fully certified, and designed the program here himself, based on his experience with potential problems. He was employed in both the borough and Richland.
But former Qtown manager Dave Woglom made the decision not to have a fire marshal after Guenst retired (he still continued in Richland). Roberts acknowledged that council has been aware of this, but apparently there was no discussion, and no dissent. When I asked President Dennis Hallman why the borough gave up this seemingly vital program, he said that he had no idea, passing the buck to former President Ray Fulmer.
But Roberts was a bit more forthcoming: Economics. Money, pure and simple. While Woglom's shenanigans were costing the borough untold thousands of dollars, council went along with cutting out yearly fire inspections, just to save a few bucks . Your taxes still went up, but you received less service. The senior center hadn't been inspected since January, 2005. There will always be the question of whether one of the most destructive fires in Quakertown history might have been prevented if the regular inspections had continued.
McElree, Fretz, and council admit that they are concerned enough about the minimum coverage to have discussed hiring a permanent fire marshal. But that has been complicated by the long-delayed Landlord-Tenant Ordinance, which has been kicking around for a year. It would provide for regular health and safety inspections of all 1800 rental properties - commercial, residential, and industrial - as well as hiring that full-time marshal.
Councilman David Zaiser has been frustrated by the apparent lack of progress. "The Planning Commission has it for the second time. I had proposed a version, as did Quakertown Alive. It was then decided to gather other landlord ordinances, no one liked it, then we pushed it to PC, got it back, then pressure from certain realtors who threatened us, then another QAlive proposal and back to PC".
"This really never should have gone to PC. QAlive gave us a good ordinance, they did their research and had assistance from Rob Wonderling. QAlive wanted it, the good landlords wanted it, but certain realtors did not, and some council member just caved to that pressure."
Planning Commission member Ed Scholl added "While we have some concerns about the structure, we do support trying to establish an ordinance that will be fair to all parties involved. We sent it back to council for more details. There are some strong pros to the ordinance, but if not done right, the cons. Getting it right is what the PC wants. It's an issue that is certainly drawing strong emotions from both sides, pro-ordinance and anti-ordinance. But you can only talk for so long".
Amen, Ed. There is nothing unusual about debate, and strong differences of opinion, on any board. But with so much riding on this ordinance, the borough itself needs to be united before it can deal with those uncooperative landlords. It is the responsibility of the Planning Commission chairman to effect the necessary compromises and get a recommendation back to council. Unfortunately, that chairman is Steve Biddle, who is described by one PC member as "only motivated to act on issues that grab his fancy".
This is the same Steve Biddle who hopes to be on council himself next year. Let this boondoggle be a loud-and-clear warning to Qtown voters. Candidates can say anything in a campaign, but we learn a whole lot more by seeing what they accomplish - or don't accomplish - in real-life situations. Rather than being an expediter of this very important ordinance, Biddle has been weak and ineffective.
So, while proposals ping-pong around borough hall, most buildings aren't being inspected at all. No one is checking to see if fire extinguishers are recharged, exit doors are easily accessible, and wiring is properly maintained. Like the wiring that may have contributed to the fire at the senior center.
That blaze should be a five-alarm wake-up call to all involved. If necessary, council must bypass Biddle's ineffectiveness, stand up to obstructionist landlords, and do everything possible to quickly return to regular fire inspections in the borough.
The next disaster could be more than just a building.